Determination of aluminium in biological samples and drinking water by kinetic-differentiation mode HPLC with fluorescent detection

The development of a simple and sensitive method for the determination of a luminium is a subject of growing interest. The objective of this study was to apply kinetic-differentiation mode HPLC with 8-quinolinol to biological and water samples. The aluminium chelate is detected fluorometrically at Ex 370 nm and Em 504 nm. The most remarkable point of the proposed method is that only aluminium ion respond selectively among many metal ions in the sa mple matrix. The limit of detection, 1 mu g/l, is approximately ten-times h igher than that of graphite-furnace AAS, which is currently used in routine work. Precautions to prevent aluminium contamination during sample prepara tion are described. The proposed method has been successfully applied to se rum, urine, tap water, and bottled mineral water. The most important practi cal application is in the treatment of patients on dialysis for whom alumin ium accumulation can present serious problems. A comparison of the aluminiu m concentration between healthy subjects and subjects on dialysis has been difficult because the concentrations in the former group approach the lower limit of those detectable by conventional methods. Using the proposed HPLC , it was determined that the average aluminium concentration in serum tvas 3 mu g/l for 240 healthy subjects, and 11 mu g/l for 196 patients on dialys is.